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THE CHURCH AND THE SLAYE POWER. 



A SERMON 






PREACHED BEFORE THE STUDENTS OF THE 



METHODIST BIBLICAL INSTITUTE. 



CONCORD, N. H„ FEHRFARY '23, 18G0. 



By rev. S. M. vail, D. D. 



PUBLISHED BY THE STUDENTS. 



CONCORD: 

FOGG, HADLEY & CO., PRINTP^RS. 

1860. 



Entered according- to an Act of Conjrress, in the year ISOO, by Charles E I itti ■- 
in behalf of the publishers, in the Clerk's office of the " '''^' 

District Court of IS'ew Hampshire. 



4 



THE CHURCH AND THE SLAVE POWER. 



SERMON 



PEEACHED BEFORE THE STUDENTS OF THE 



METHODIST BIBLICAL INSTITUTE. 



CONCORD, N. H., FEBRUARY 23, 1860. 



':< ""' ^av. 



By REY. SrM.^AIL 






PUBLISHED BY THE STUDENTS, 



CONCORD: 

FOGa, HADLEY & CO., PRINTERS, 

1860. 






■i 



n 



Concord, N. H., Ft'5. IWi, 1860. 



Rev. S. M. Vail, d. d., 

Reverend and dear Sir .-—By a vote of the students of the Methodist Gen- 
eral Biblical Institute, we, the undersigned, are appointed a committee to 
respectfully solicit the publication of your sermon, delivered before the stu- 
dents on the 23d inst. 

We sincerely hope you will grant om- request, as we believe the truth will 
be thereby promoted. 

Your affectionate Pupils, 

CHABLES E. LITTLE, 
EDWIN WARRINEB, 
E. S. CHEESEIVIAN. 



Dear Brethren -.—Your polite note informing me that " by a vote of the 
students of the Methodist General Biblical Institute, you were appointed a 
committee to respectfully solicit the publication of my sermon delivered before 
the students, on the 23d inst.," has been received and duly considered. 

The sermon was not prepared with a \'ieAv to publication, but as you judge 
its publication would subserve the cause of truth I do not feel at liberty to 

withliold it. 

Your affectionate Teacher and Brother, 

STEPHEN M. VAIL. 
Rev. Charles E. Little, ~i 
Rev. Edwin Warhinkr, > Committee. 
Rev. E. S. Cheeskman, j 



SERMOisr 



Text : JRommis, 13 : 1—10, Let every soul be subject unto the higher pow- 
ers. For there is no power but of God : The powers that be are ordained of 
God. ^Vhosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of 
God, and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation. For ru- 
lers are not a terror to good Avorks, but to the evil. Wilt thou then not 
be afraid of the power ? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise 
of the same. For he is the minister of God to thee for good. But if thou 
do that which is evil be afraid ; for he beareth not the sword in vain, for 
he IS the minister of God, a revenger to execute wrath upon him that doeth 
evil. Wherefore, ye must needs be subject not only for wrath, but also 
for conscience' sake. For this cause pay ye tribute also, for they are God's 
ministers attendmg continually upon this very thing. Render therefore to 
all their dues ; tribute to whom tribute is due ; custom to whom custom ; 
fear to whom fear ; honor to whom honor. Owe no man anything but to 
love one another ; for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. For 
this thou shalt not commit adultery ; thou shalt not kill ; thou shalt not 
steal ; thou shalt not bear false witness ; thou shalt not covet ; and if there 
be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, 
namely, thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 

Acts, 4 : 18-20. And they, [the Jewish council or Sanhedrim,] called them 
[the apostles] and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the 
name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, whether 
it be right m the sight of God, to hearken imto you more than unto God, 
judge ye. For we can not but speak the thmgs which we have seen and 
heard. 

It has seemed to me not inappropriate on tliis occasion to direct 
the minds of the young men of this Institution, to a subject in- 
volved in the Scriptures just read, which if properly understood 
and acted upon, will render your ministry a blessing both to the 
present and future generations, and which if not understood and 
not acted upon, will render your ministry of doubtful utility. 

It is of the highest importance that a Christian minister entertain 
right opinions, and then that he be a man of so much courage and 
faith that he shall bravely carry them out. 

It IS only a few months ago, that one of our Superintendents, 
Rev. Bp. Janes, while holding the Arkansas Conference at Bon- 
ham, Fannin County, Texas, was interrupted on the holy Sabbath 



4 THE CHURCH AND 

in the midst of the religious services, usual on such occasions, by 
a body of armed men, who commanded the Bishop and his confer- 
ence consisting of about twenty members, to cease their work as 
ministers of the Gospel in connection with the Methodist Episcopal 
Church, in the county of Fannin, " henceforth and forever." That 
in the event of their failing to comply, they might expect to be 
visited with such pains and penalties as an outraged Southern com- 
munity might see fit to inflict. 

It is not to be forgotten, that a few years ago several of our 
worthy ministers were called to sufi"er even unto blood, in Missouri 
and Kansas, for no other offence than that they belonged to the 
Methodist Episcopal Church, which is and ever has been an Anti- 
Slavery Church. 

The pious and youthful Kelley was dragged from the preacher's 
stand and hurried through cold and storm to a distant place to die 
of violence and exposure. The Rev. Mr. Sellers had molten tar 
poured upon his head and shoulders, filling his eyes and ears. 
Rev. Father Holland, was shot dead at the same time, for mUdly 
remonstrating against this violence. 

The Rev. Daniel Worth, a pious and excellent Presbyterian 
minister of North Carolina, writes from Queensboro jaU, under 
date of Dec. 26th, 1859: "I have been three days incarcerated 
in this jail on charge of a breach of the criminal law of this State 
in preaching, and selling incendiary books, Helper's Impending 
Crisis, &c." 

In Kentucky, Rev. Wm. Kendrick, and Rev. Geo. Candee, were 
recently seized by a mob, and prevented from filling their Sabbath 
appointments, one of which was the preaching the funeral sermon of 
a brother minister's daughter. They then had their hair and beards 
shaved, and their heads and faces covered with tar. 

Rev. John G. Fee, Rev. J. A. R. Rodgers, Rev. J. F. Boughton, 
and Rev. J. S. Davis, and some members of their churches have 
been driven out of the State. 

Verily the days of martyrdom have not yet passed, and we have 
to discuss the old question anew, " What is our duty when the 
government forhids us to preach ?" It is true that the recent events 
above related, showing the deadly hostility of the slave power have 
grown out of the fact, that that power fears the preaching of Anti- 
Slavery doctrines. 



THE SLAVE POWEE. 5 

The truth is, when the faithful preacher opens his mouth and de- 
nounces any darling sin, Satan is very much concerned to have his 
mouth closed by some means, and if it cannot be done by mild 
means, it must be by violence. 

There is a portion of our people, both of the North and the 
South, who declare that the government is supreme over all its 
subjects, and that any preaching contrary to the will of the govern- 
ment is contrary to the general good, and therefore contrary to the 
law of Grod. Vox Pojjuli Vox Dei. " The voice of the people is 
the voice of Grod," say they, " being expressed in legislative enact- 
ments." 

When in 1856 a distinguished United States Senator in discuss- 
ing the fugitive slave law, so called, ventured to remind his brother 
Senators, that there was a " Higher Law," thanhuman constitutions, 
a pious horror ran through the souls of aU the upholders of sla- 
very, both North and South. " There is a higher law than human 
constitutions or human enactments." A very simple sentence and 
very full of truth as I think. And yet even many professedly 
Chi'istian men, not politicians and lawyers only, but even ministers, 
united in the denunciation of the horribly, monstrously treasonable 
phrase. " There is a higher Law." And what is there more 
implied in this simple phrase than is implied in the declaration of 
Peter and John to the Jewish Sanhedrim? " Whether it be right 
for us to obey you rather than God, judge ye." 

In this connection we may be pardoned, we trust in alluding to 
another phrase of the same honorable Senator, which escaped from 
his lips it would seem, by the purest accident, while speaking to an 
assembly of his fellow citizens. " There is" said he "an irrepressi- 
ble conflict, between opposing and enduring forces, and it means that 
the United States must and will, sooner or later become either entirely 
a slaveholding nation, or entirely a free labor nation." Horror of 
horrors, again ! The whole of pro-slavery conservatism — conserva- 
tism ! I should say, propagandism — is seized with a sudden cata- 
lepsy. The whole Northern atmosphere is full of Sharp's rifles 
and Colt's revolvers. " Tliere is an irrepressible conflict." And 
again we ask is there any thing more implied in this phrase, than is 
implied in the words of the Apocalyptist Seer, " There was u-ar in 
heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the 
dragon fought and his angels, and prevailed not." And the conflict 



6 THE CHURCH A^D 

will be irrcjyressihle, until the Angel of the covenant shall descend 
from heaven with a great chain in his hand and lay hold of that 
old Serpent, which is the Devil and bind him a thousand years. 

We live in stirring times, when Satan rages because his time is 
short, and when the saints too must fight with new courage and su- 
perior skill. New questions are almost every day evolved in 
Philosophy, in Theology and in Morals. Satan becomes an angel 
of light, and uses all his arts to prop up his falling kingdom. I 
wish in this discourse to stir up in the hearts of my young breth- 
ren some of those sentiments and feelings which will better fit us 
for the work of the Gospel, and to indicate to you some of those 
obligations resting upon us as citizens, and as ministers of the 
Lord Jesus. 

The Apostle says in the first verse of the text, " Thejjowers that 
he are ordained of God." Hence it has been inferred by some, 
that all governments of whatever kind, bad as well as good, are 
established by God and meet with his approval. But this is an 
entire misconception of the meaning of the Apostle. Let every 
soul he subject unto the higher poioers, i. e., to such higher powers as 
do not exalt themselves above the Divine power. Every power 
that contravenes the Divine power is unlawful, and is not to 
be regarded. Thus Moses and Aaron resisted the power of 
Pharaoh when it became tyrannical, and demanded of Pharaoh 
that he should let the people go. So also Daniel resisted the pow- 
er of the King of Babylon and refused to cease to pray unto the 
God of heaven. So the Apostles refused to obey the Jewish 
Sanhedrim and continued to preach as the text declares. Any 
power, in a word, which makes it necessary for a subject, in any 
way or manner to violate a single moral principle, or in any way 
to violate the golden rule, as ye ivoidd tJiat atjtcrs should do unto 
you, do ye even so unto them ; or the royal law — thou shalt love thy 
neighbor as thyself, is a wicked usurpation and tyranny, and is not 
to be obeyed. Tliat the Apostle could not mean that we are to be 
subject to any power which lords it over the Divine law is clear 
from the 9th verse of the text, "'for this thort shalt not commit adul- 
tery, 2%)u shalt not kill. Thou shalt not steal, Thoxi shalt not hear 
false vntness. Thou shalt not covet, and if there he any other com- 
mandment it is briefly comprehended in this saying, Thou shalt love 
he neighbor as thyself ." 



THE SLAVE POWER. 7 

Our position is simply this therefore, that any power which as- 
sumes to violate or to cause its subjects to violate this royal law of 
God is not a " higher power" in the sense of the Apostle ; other- 
wise, the Apostle would contradict himself for he commands us to 
obey Grod at the same time that we are to be subject to the higher 
powers. It is necessary therefore that the higher powers be in 
subjection to the Divine law. And it further follows that any law, 
so called, enacted by men, which is in conflict with God's law or 
the Holy Scriptures, is no law, and is not to be regarded as law. 

To call such statutes, laws, is a misnomer and an absurdity, and 
it is time our legislators understood it. We are Christians and not 
infidels or heathen, and hence must be governed by the law of 
Christ. 

We ask attention to the phrase in the last part of the text — 
" The powers that be are ordained of God." " Here," says the 
slave power " all your notions about the higher law of God are put 
to flight." Here God himself says by his holy Apostle that all gov- 
ernments are divinely ordained, and of course can do nothing 
wrong." Even the cruel government of Nero is here directly sanc- 
tioned, and it is emphatically declared, that to resist Nero is to 
resist the ordinance of God. Never mind if Nero does take Chris- 
tian men, and Christian women, and sew them up in the skins of 
wild beasts, throw them into the amphitheater and then let loose 
upon them fierce Roman dogs, to amuse a heathen audience. 
These fierce creatures tear the flesh of these innocent victims from 
off their bones, — piece-meal, till death ends the struggle. Never 
mind, it is all right — it is an ordinance of Nero, one of the powers 
ordained of God. When this form of amusement becomes stale, 
Nero makes another decree. He commands his officers to take 
Christian men, and Christian women, and cover their bodies with 
tar and pitch, and bind them to a stake — the chin firmly resting 
upon its apex, and then he commands them to kindle a fire around 
them whose flames shall leap up and spread over their quivering 
flesh, and a heathen audience shouts and exults in this new inven- 
tion and refinement of cruelty. Nevertheless it is all right — it is 
an ordinance of the powers that be — of the Emperor Nero. 

Strange as it may appear, this very doctrine of Devils has come 
down to our times, and is acted upon every day in this so called 
Christian Republic of the United States of America. The argu- 



8 THE CHURCH AND 

» 

ment is " The slave power of slave States is one of the powers that 
be. The slave power therefore is divinely ordained, and he that 
resists this power, resists the ordinance of God." 

Many of the Doctors of the Church bow down to this syllogism. 
Instead of making the church stand erect, the monitor and guide 
of the State, she becomes the poor subservient tool of the State. 
" The fowers that 2/ e" they say "■ are ordained of God," and the 
church is commanded to submit to whatever the State commands." 
If this doctrine be true and without limitation how could the Apos- 
tles Peter and John stand up before the Jewish Council, and say, 
" Wliether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you 
more than unto God judge ye." How could the Apostle Paul dare 
to stand in the presence of Felix and thunder forth the doctrine 
of God, on righteousness, temperance, and judgment till Felix 
trembled ? 

The minister of God must be independent. The pulpit must be 
unshackled, or it cannot fulfill its legitimate functions. It must 
be free to denounce sin, in high places and in low places — in Gov- 
enors, in Judges, in Senators, in Legislators, and even in wicked 
laws, which may find their way to the statute books. No earthly 
power can stand between God and his servant, who is divinely 
commissioned to declare his will. It is the business of the Chris- 
tian minister to preach the gospel— to preach the whole gospel, 
though earth and hell resist him. 

The powers that be are ordained of God, then, not to be the min- 
isters of evil, but to be the ministers of good ; not to muzzle the 
mouth of God's servant, but to protect him in his heaven-appoint- 
ed work. Civil government is good. Judges dispensing equal 
justice between man and man, sit in the place of God, and are to 
be held in all honor, when confining themselves to their legitimate 
sphere. Rulers are to be a terror to evil workers, and not to 
those that do good. " He is the minister of God to thee for good, 
but if thou do that which is evil, be afraid, for he beareth not the 
sword in vain. For he is the minister of God, a revenger to exe- 
cute wrath upon him that doeth evil. Wherefore the Christian 
must needs be subject, not only for [fear of the] wrath [of the mag- 
istrate,] but for the sake of a good conscience." For this cause 
the Christian must " pay tribute." 



THE SLAVE POWEE. 9 

The crime of embezzling the tribute and taxes, at the time of 
writing this epistle prevailed over the whole Roman Empire. The 
more striking in this respect was the contrast of the Christians, who 
although enemies of the heathen, yet manifested such integrity in 
regard to the tribute that TurtuUian affirms, " What the Romans 
lost by Christians in the way of their Temple dues, was compensa- 
ted by their conscientiousness in paying the taxes."* " But yet," 
cries the advocate of the lower law of man, " Is it not the doc- 
trine of the Apostle that 'he that resists the power, resists the or- 
dinance of G-od ?' " Did not the Christians do wi'ong who refused 
to pay for the support of idol worship ? Was not Nero's power 
legitimate ? We answer it was, when it commanded things lawful 
and according to Grod's word. It was not lawful and was not to be 
obeyed, when it commanded anything contrary to God's revealed 
will. The powers that be inb dsov TSTuy/nipoi lial are arranged 
under God, subject to the divine will, and not elevated above it. 
They are ever under God's direction and control, whether the power 
be a Monarchy or a Republic — a limited or an absolute Monarchy, 
an Aristocracy or an Oligarchy, it matters not, so long as it fulfills 
its legitimate functions, and confines itself to its own province, and 
gauges its enactments continually by the holy will of Jehovah, as 
expressed in his Holy Word, it is right, and it is to be obeyed, 
otherwise it is wrong and not to be obeyed, for obedience thereto 
involves disobedience to God, which under no circumstances can 
ever be allowed. We are to serve and obey God, whatever be the 
consequences. Duty is ours, consequences belong to God. We 
may safely leave results in the Divine hand. In no case whatever 
may we do evil that good may come. " The damnation of such is 
just," says Paul, who teach this abominable doctrine. We may do 
things indifferent, or leave them undone, as the eating of meat. 
In such case we should act upon the principle of expediency. 
It may be perfectly proper in itself, for me to eat meat or drink 
wine, but if thereby my brother is offended or stumbled, it is expe- 
dient that I should refrain, that I may not injure his weak con- 
science. 

But the doctrine of expediency has nothing to do in excusing 
us from the performance of our moral and religious duties. To do 

* See Turtullian Apol. C. 42, infine. 



10 THE CHURCH AND 

right is ever the highest expediency. Right doing is a solemn duty 
which we owe to God, and no circumstances but those of absolute 
necessity can absolve us for a moment. Wrong doing is always 
forbidden, and no civil, no earthly power can excuse us therefrom. 
The great law of Grod is that we are to love him with all the heart 
and our neighbor as ourselves. Any law or enactment of man 
therefore, which interferes and prevents us from discharging this 
law of Grod, is in fact, a dead letter, and is no law, and is therefore 
not to be obeyed — we are rather to mak^ up our minds to suffer 
its penalty, as Daniel did when thrown into the den of lions, than 
to sin against Grod. The same is equally true of the second table 
of the law, " Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." 

If any human enactment says, thou shalt not feed the hungry, or 
clothe the naked, or give shelter to the panting fugitive, that law is 
void. It interferes with, and is contrary to the law of Grod, and is 
not to be regarded. We may suffer its penalty, but we are not to 
obey its iniquitous commands. 

I would say further, we are to seek by all proper means the im- 
mediate overthrow and abrogation of all such iniquitous statutes. 
The Christian minister, as well as the Christian member of the 
household of faith, is also a citizen. Paul was a Roman citizen, 
and on more than one occasion, availed himself of this advantage, 
" And Paul said I am a man ivhich am a Jew of Tarsus, a citizen 
of no mean city." Acts, 21 : 39. And as they bound him with 
thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by : " Is it lawful 
for you to scourge a man that is a Roman and uncondemned ? 
When the centurion heard that, he went and told the chief captain, 
saying, take heed what thou doest for this man is a Roman. Tlien 
the chief captain came and said unto him, art thou a Roman ? He 
said yea, and the chief captain answered, tvith a great sum obtained 
I this freedom ; and Paid said, but I toas free born." Acts, 22: 
25 — 28. And when cited before the tribunal of Felix, he further 
used his right as a citizen to defend himself, and finally to appeal 
unto Caesar. As it was not only the riglit but the duty of Paul to 
vindicate himself and the Holy cause he served, as a citizen, so 
doul)tlcss, it is our right and duty to do the same. If wicked laws 
get upon the Statute books, it is the duty of the Christian citizen to 
seek their abrogation, and if tliey undertake to compel us to dis- 
obey God, we are not to regard them, but to resist them, by all 



THE SLAVE POWER. 



11 



peaceable means, and suffer their penalty if need be. So likewise 
if ungodly rulers bear sway, it is our duty to seek for the appoint- 
ment of other and better men. The duty of votiny, therefore, be- 
comes often an imperative Christian duty. At all times therefore, 
and in all places, the Christian should lift up his voice and act for 
the right ; avoiding violent partizau feeling as far as possible, yet 
never compromising or yielding the right. 

The principles of faith and action, above recounted, we believe 
have their foundation in the infallible word of God. We wish now 
to make a brief application of some of them to the great question 
of our day, and of our country, the question of American Slavery. 
It is in vain for us to say that we have nothing to do with it ; that 
it is a question which belongs to those communities in which it 
exists as an institution. Whether we will or not, it has a great 
deal to do with us, both as members of Christ's Church and of the 
body politic. And even though it had nothing to do with us, yet 
I think we have much to do with that, as a stupendous system of 
iniquity existing among men. This was Cain's argument, "Am I 
my brother's keeper ?" It is not to be forgotten, we have an old 
law written in our scriptures, " Thotc shalt love thy neighbor as 
thyself' And another also, " Thou shalt not suffer sin upon thy 
neighbor; thou shalt in any xoise rebuke him ." And further, the 
Savior has taught us in the parable of the Good Samaritan, that we 
are the neighbor of him to whom we may show mercy, whether he 
be in our immediate vicinity or many miles away. 

It would, I think be a very unchristian declaration, to say that 
we have nothing to do, even with the woes and sufferings and sor- 
rows of the poor Chinese and Hindoos, though they be on the other 
side of the globe. And our Christian hearts rightly dilate with 
gladness, when we learn that some poor orphans, through our lib- 
erality are snatched from heathen influences, provided with com- 
fortable clothing, and blessed with the best of Christian instruction, 
by our devoted missionaries in those distant lands. 

"This is Christian, this is right," say all. Is it not equally 
Christian and right, to care for the poor orphan, who is torn from 
his home and kindred, by the wicked slave trader, nearer home ? 
If the poor colored man be our neighbor, we doubtless have duties 
to him, as well as to the Hindoo or the Chinaman. We are to do 



12 THE CHUECH AND 

what we can to relieve tlie woes of the one, as well as the woes of 
the other. We have much to do then, with the slave and with 
slavery. ^ 

But slavery in these days is rampant and impudent. Our 
fathers wisely sought to confine it within the boundaries of the old 
Slave States. The ordinance of 1787, in respect to the North- 
west Territory, and the restriction of 1820, commonly called the 
Missouri restriction, it has swept away. It is even legalized in all 
the Territories of the Union, from Mexico to the British posses- 
sions. It lifts its unblushing face in the Capitol of the nation. It 
pursues its panting fugitives along the highways of all the free 
States of the North. It interferes with the sacred rights of hospi- 
tality commanded by the Savior of sinners. It says, thou shalt not 
clothe the naked, and thou shalt -not feed the hungry. 

It has slain our brothers upon the plains of Kansas. It has 
burned their dwellings and driven them from their peaceful homes. 
It is this very hour, driving hundreds of peaceful devoted Chris- 
tians from their property and homes in the Southern States, for the 
simple reason that they believe that ive shoidd " hreak every yoke 
and let the oppressed go free." It has struck the cap of liberty from 
our coins, and it seeks everywhere to trample freedom into the dust. 
Slavery therefore has much to do with us, and since it has be- 
come rampant and aggressive, I here proclaim, in the name of the 
God of the oppressed it shall come to an everlasting end. We 
may as well come right to the point, and deal honestly with our- 
selves in respect to this stupendous iniquity. 

Some men among us, in high repute, both in the Church and in 
the State have pronounced it " a Christian Institution.'" 

But I must utter my entire dissent. It is unchristian and anti- 
christian. At one blow it destroys the second table of the Law. 
" Thou shah love thy neighhor as thyself." Slavery is not doing to 
others as we would have others do to us. It is on the contrary, 
doing to others as we would not have them do to us. No willing, 
wilful slaveholder can either keep the law of love, or the golden rule. 
What wilful slave-liolder is willing to change circumstances 
with his slave in one single respect ? Is he willing to become a 
chattel ? not he. Is he willing to submit himself and family to 
the tender mercies of a Negro ? not he. Is he, or could he be 



THE SLAVE POWER. 13 

willing to work for a single week for a kind and tender hearted 
negro even ? not lie. Is he even willing that a negro should be 
upon an equality with him, whether in the church or in the State ? 
I answer, though I need not answer, — No ! Slavery and slavehold- 
ing are ever contrary to the law of love. 

The legal relation may exist as a matter of necessity, without 
sin. But in all cases where the relation is continued unnecessari- 
ly it must always be in so far wrong, or sinful ; as violating both 
the golden rule and the law of love. It is to be observed also, 
that slaveholding violates especially the first table of the law. 
" Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with cdl thy heart, <fec." Slave- 
holding implies that the slave is subject to the will of the master. 
When the master commands, the slave must obey. He is not at 
liberty to say with the Apostle " Whether it be right in the sight of 
God, to hearken unto you rjither than unto Grod, judge ye." 
Slavery is a usurpation therefore. It interferes with the right of 
Grod to the service of his children. God says, " Search the 
scriptures." Slavery says, " It is unlawful to teach slaves to 
read." God says to children, " obey your parents ;" Slavery says, 
" ohey your masters ;" God says, " Thou shalt not commit adultery," 
Slavery says," adultery is no crime ;" God says, " Marriage is hon- 
orable in all," Slavery says, " You might as well marry cattle." 
Thus this horrible system goes on violating every precept of the 
Decalogue, either directly or indirectly, — trampling under foot the 
Divine word as an unclean thing. 

But says one, " Did not Abraham hold slaves ?" I answer, No. 
Abraham had servants, but so far as I have been able to acertain 
he had no slaves. I know of no proof of the assertion that Abra- 
ham was a slaveholder. I know there was a class of persons in 
his house bought with money (literally the purchase of silver.) 

They might have been hired servants, or they might have been 
persons purchased from captivity, and retained as members of his 
household. But this phrase is no certain evidence that he held 
them as slaves. They may have been purchased out of bond- 
age, for merciful purposes ; no man can deny it, and purchases of 
this kind are right. But we have no right to sell a fellow being 
into bondage. Abraham bought indeed. But Abraham did not 
sell. But slaveholders do not limit themselves to buying ; they 
also sell, and justify themselves in so doing. Abraham had ser- 



14 THE CHURCH AND 

vants. This is evident. Eleazer of Damascus was his servant. 
He was moreover Abi-aham's associate, and the steward of his 
house. But there is no evidence that he was Abraham's slave, i. e., 
that he was a chattel personal, and held, body and mind subject to 
Abraham's will. 

In the event of Sarah's having no son, Abraham proposed to 
make him his heir, a circumstance altogether at variance with the 
idea that he was a slave. But admit for the sake of the argument 
that Abraham did hold slaves. What then ? Abraham deceived 
Pharoah. He deceived Abimelech. He in fact, told a lie to each 
of them. 

If Abraham told lies, is lying therefore justifiable ? Is lying 
right? Abraham held concubines. Is concubinage therefore 
right ? Is there any evidence that a Just and Holy God approved 
of these things in his otherwise faithful servant ? I answer, none 

at all. 

It is frequently said in defence of slavery that the children of 
Israel were slaveholders, and therefore slaveholding is right. This 
is a very superficial view of the subject, and altogether too indis- 
criminate. The truth upon this point is embodied in the follow- 
ing statement. There were among the Hebrews two classes of 
servants, Hired servants, and Bond servants. Hired servants 
corresponded exactly with the hired servants of our day. Bond 
servants corresponded with those persons who are reduced to 
involuntary service for crime. Such as serve in our Houses of 
Correction, and State Prisons. The fullest passage on the sub- 
ject, is found in Leviticus, 25 : 39-46. " And if thy brother that 
dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee, thou shalt 
not compel him to serve as a bond servant, but as a hired servant 
and a sojourner he shall be with thee and shall serve thee unto . 
the year of Jubilee ; and then shall he depart from thee, both he 
and his children with him, and shall return unto his own family, 
and unto the possession of his fathers shall he return. For they 
arc my servants which I brought forth out of the land of Egypt ; 
they shall not be sold as bondmen. Thou shalt not rule over him 
with rigor, but shalt fear thy God. Both thy bondmen and 
thy bondmaids, which thou mayest have, shall be of the heathen, 
which are round about you ; of them may ye buy bondmen and 
bondmaids." A Hebrew man might sell himself as a " hired ser- 



THE SLAVE POWEE. 15 

vant ;" but not as a perpetual servant, and he could not even Lire 
himself out for a longer period than till the year of Jubilee. 

But the case was different with the heathen. They had been 
guilty of idolatry and of the various abominations with it : on 
this account they might be bought and held to service. But even 
they must be released on the year of Jubilee. " Ye shall hal- 
loiv the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land, to 
AIL the inhabitants thereof." — Lev. 25 : 10. Such was the slavery, 
and such only, as existed among the Jews by Divine authority . 
Bondmen became such only for crime, and might be released at 
any time. So far from slavery being an institution of the Old 
Testament, we find numerous denunciations of Grod against it, and 
attendant sins, e. g : " He that stealeth a man and selleth him, or 
if he be found in his hand he shall surely be put to death." — Ex. 21 : 
16, " For they are my servants tvhich I brought forth out of the land 
of ^gyp^-' — ^^^' 25 .• 42. " If a man be found stealing any of 
his brethren of the children of Israel, and maheth merchandize of 
him, or selleth him, then thatt thief shall die, and thou shalt put evil 
aioay from among you." — Deut., 24; 7. 

" Therefore thus saith the Lord ye have not hearkened unto me in 
proclaiming libeHy, every one to his brother, and every man to his 
neighbour ; behold I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the Lord, to 
the siuord, to the pestilence, and to the famine ; and I loill make you 
to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth." Jer., 34 ; 17. 

''Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of 
wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go 
free, and that ye break every yoke ? Is it not to deal thy bread 
to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy 
house? When thou seest the naked that thou cover him; and 
that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh?" IsA., 58: 6-7. 

We say therefore with the highest degree of confidence that the 
supposition that our Christian Scriptures do in any respect sanc- 
tion the practice of involuntary servitude, except for crime is an 
entire misapprehension. From Genesis to Revelation, its principles 
inculcate justice and humanity, righteousness and truth, freedom 
and liberty to every child of man. And now we say further, that 
involuntary servitude or slavery except for crime, is as evidently 
contrary to natural right, as it is contrary to the Chi-istian Scrip- 
tures. We hold it as an axiom in law and morals that every man 



IQ THE CHURCH AND 

by nature is possessed of certain inalienable rights, among which 
are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness,— a right to his own 
body and his own soul, a right to the avails of his own labor and 
to the productions of his mind. And while he does not interfere 
with the same rights in others, no man,— no society of men may 
interfere with him. I need not say that slavery denies these rights, 
at least to the black man. In fact a negro slave has no rights 
which a white man is bound to respect. 

Nearly a century ago that great and good man, Mr. John Wes- 
ley, in his " Thoughts on Slavery" declares, " I strike at the root 
of this complicated villainy. I absolutely deny all slaveholding to 
be consistent with any degree of natural justice." " Perhaps you 
will say, I do not buy negroes ; I only use those left by my father. 
So far is well ; but is that enough to satisfy your own conscience ? 
Had your father, have you, has any living man a right to use 
another as a slave ? It cannot be, even setting Revelation aside. 
It cannot be that either war or contract can give any man, such a 
property in another as he has in his sheep and oxen. Much less 
is it possible that any child of man should be born a slave. Liber- 
ty is the right of every human creature, as soon as he breathes the 
vital air ; and no law can deprive him of that right which he de- 
rives from the law of nature." 

" If therefore you have any regard for justice * * * render unto 
all their due. Give liberty to whom liberty is due, i. e. to every 
child of man, to every partaker of human nature." " Let none 
serve you but by his own act and deed, by his own voluntary choice. 
Away with all whips, all chains, all compulsion. Be gentle toward 
all men ; and see that you invariably do unto every one as you 
would he should unto you."'"' 

Before leaving this part of our subject, I wish to refer to an ar- 
gument for Slavery drawn from the New Testament, and the prac- 
tice of the early church. 

It is said that under the preaching of the Apostles, masters and 
slaves were converted, and both were received into the church, and 
that the relation of slave and slaveholder was in no way disturbed 
by the introduction of Christianity ; that under these circumstances 
slaves were exhorted to be obedient to their masters, and masters 

•Wesley's works, Vol. ^^[, Page 292. 



^ THE SLAVE POWER. 17 

were exhorted to give to tlieir slaves that whicli is just and equal. 
We remark that as to the fact that there were slaves both among the 
Greeks and Romans there can be no doubt. They formed no ex- 
ception to the general fact of the existence of slavery among bar- 
barous and semi-barbarous nations. 

Captives taken in war naturally fell into the condition of ser- 
vants, or into the still lower condition of slaves, as e. g., the Helots 
among the Spartans, and the Peuestae of Thessaly, and the nu- 
merous conquered tribes among the Romans. As the Roman peo- 
ple grew rich and powerful, their slaves increased till in many parts 
of Italy and in the Provinces, they were more numerous than the 
freemen, and on some occasions insurrections were so extensive and 
powerful that they held out for years against the whole power of 
the Empire. 

Now we presume it is sufficiently correct to say, that the Apostles 
preached the gospel both to the master and the slave ; and on the 
profession of their faith received them at once into the Church, 
without obliging the master to abjure the legal relation, at least iu 
any open or formal manner. But while so much is admitted, it 
must be borne in mind that the higher law of love at once did away 
with all cruelty, all whips, all chains, all imperious conduct, and the 
master and slave sat down to the same table of the Lord, and wor- 
shipped together in the same assembly ; wrought together at the 
same occupations, worshipped around the same family altar. In a 
word, the master reserved no rights which the golden rule or the 
law of love would accord to the bondman. 

Thus, in a word, in a moment, Christianity strikes a death blow 
to this whole system of iniquity. It destroys it in fact, though it 
may not destroy it at once, in law and in form. The great error 
of pro-slavery apologists is that they do not preach the whole Gos- 
pel, and their error in respect to the Apostles is, that they suppose 
that the Apostles did not. They seem to forget that the great 
Apostle preached to the servants, slaves of his day, " If thou 
may est he free, use it rather ;" and another very solemn injunction 
to the Church •■* to remember those that are in hands as hound loith 
them ;" and another injunction to his brother Philemon, that he 
should receive his runaway slave or servant, as a " brother be- 
loved.^' 



18 THE CHUECH Ai^D 

But says the pro-slavery apologist : "Does not this very case 
of Philemon prove that the relation of master and slave may re- 
main in the Christian Church !" I reply at once, that there is 
scarcely a shadow of any evidence that Onesimus ever was a slave. 
But does not Paul say, receive him ^^ not now as a servant hut 
above a servant, a brother beloved ? Indeed, he does. But a servant 
is not always a slave, nor can it be proved that Onesimus was a 
slave at all a chattel personal an article of merchandize. 

No argument can be drawn from the use of the word " doidos." It 
would be very strange language for Paul to speak of himself as the 
slave of Jesus Christ, though it would be very appropriate for him 
to speak "of his being a servant of the Lord Jesus. 

I know that a South Side teacher of Divinity and the President 
of a Northern CoUege, a few years since had the assurance to say, 
and to print the declaration that " an n^J at Jerusalem ; — a dovj.o; 
at Athens ; — a Servus at Rome ; — and a Slave at Washington have 
been as weU understood in those respective representative cities, to 
mean a chattel personal, as son has been understood to mean the 
child of his father." 

"What a glorious discovery is here opened to our view ! ! These 
words which are used above five hundred times in the Scriptures, 
always mean slave and slaves ! And how unfortunate that the whole 
forty-seven of the translators of the version of King James should 
never have found it out in a single instance. 

They were so ignorant and so insensible to the blessings of sla- 
very that they never rendered these oft recurring words correctly 
in a single instance. 

And now we come to the case of Onesimus. He was a servant 
to Philemon, — whether a hired servant, or an apprentice, or a bond 
servant, or a servant for debt, we do not know nor does it matter. 
He owed this excellent Christian layman, this old friend of the 
Apostle Paul a certain amount of labor or service, and before he 
was converted, had wrongfully left him and gone to Rome without 
discharging his debt. Through the preaching of the Apostle Paul 
he is awakened and converted, and his conscience enlightened, he 
desires to go back and pay his honest debt of service to Philemon. 

But let us be impressed with the words of the Apostle to Phile- 
mon, to receive this slave as his own bowels, — and as a brother 
beloved. If this be slavery we should have nothing more to say 



THE SLAVE TOWER. 19 

against it. This we suppose to be the true version of the matter. 
At least it strikes us as the more probable view and has as good 
authority as any other. 

This is the only case of a slaveholding Church member in the 
New Testament, and how much of fancy is needful, to see in good 
old Philemon, a slaveholder, is fully obvious. For my part I do not 
believe a word of the doctrine that Onesimus was a slave, or 
Philemon a slave owner. And if by any possibility it was so be- 
fore Phelemon's conversion, it could not have remained so for a 
single hour after his conversion, except in the continuance of the 
mere outward sign of the legal relation. 

The spirit of Christ in the soul destroys at once the spirit of 
domineering and oppression in the master ; and slaveholder and 
slaves are made at once brethren beloved in the Lord. And so it 
must have been in respect to all slaveholders in the early Church. 
And so it must be now, where there is proper instruction and a 
proper application of the principles of Grod's word. In concluding 
this part of our subject, we assert with the utmost confidence that 
both natural and revealed religion are everlastingly opposed to this 
" Slim of all villaiiies.^' 

And it should not be forgotten for a moment, that just here is 
the battle ground. If the Bible is against Slavery, it must fall. 
If Grod is against it, it must come to an end. If it is at war with 
the religion of Jesus, it shall be consumed with the brightness of 
his coming. Let us not fail to pour in upon this giant iniquity the 
fire of Grod's Word, and its end draws nigh. Grod will speed the 
day. 

And now we come to the more practical part of our subject — to 
inquire briefly what is our duty as members and ministers of 
Christ's Church in respect to this " great evil,'" of slavery, as our 
discipline well terms it. 

The insolence and domineering spirit of slavery, for the last 
fifty years, has grown with its growtli, and strengthened with its 
strength. Our fathers wisely undertook to limit and restrict it. 
They began by legislating against the slave trade, and declared it 
to be piracy, thus subjecting such as engaged in this nefarious 
traffic to capital punishment. By the ordinance of 1787 they 
decreed that the whole Territory north-west of the Ohio River 
should forever be dedicated to freedom, and that involuntary servi- 



20 THE CHURCH AND 

tude, except for crime, should forever be excluded. In 1820, after 
a desperate fight, they admitted Missouri as a slave State, on the 
express condition and compromise that no more slave States should 
be formed above the parallel of 36'^ 30'. Then, as soon as the 
insolent, domineering spirit of slavery saw that it had the power, it 
trampled upon this solemn compact, and laid open the fair fields 
of Kansas and Nebraska to the encroachments of the slave power. 
But, thank God ! " The wicked liave made a pit and digged it, 
and fell into the ditch v)hirJi they madeT The doctrine of Popular 
Sovereignty, by which slavery expected to ride into power in Kan- 
sas and Nebraska, became the pit of its ruin in those fair domains. 

Yet slavery will not stop its aggressions. The whole of the 
free soil of the Northern States has become a hunting ground 
against the panting fugitive from oppression, and there are no 
rights of citizenship for a man, however worthy or intelligent he 
may be, who has a single drop of African blood in his veins. Such 
is the position of the general government of our country, sanction- 
ed by majorities of Congress, and of the Supreme Court of the 
country. 

Brethren ! The question is, what is our duty, in this state of 
things, as ministers and members of Christ's Church ? Are we 
ignobly to bend ourselves down and be driven over rough shod by 
this ruthless, ungodly power ? Are we to be so prudent, that we 
dare not preach the oiyening of the prison doors to them that are 
hound, as well as the acceptable year of the Lord f 

When will the tides of ungodliness and cruelty be driven back, 
if the pulpit fails to lift up its standard, and thunder its denuncia- 
tions against sin and the transgressor ? Shall we be afraid of 
politicians, and tremble to declare the whole council of God for 
fear of this often unprincipled horde ? — unless they be allowed the 
seven principles of which John Randolph spoke, viz : the five 
loaves and two small fishes. 

If Politicians get upon our track, they must get ofi" from it. If 
they have the temerity to put their wood, hay and stubble, human 
enactments in the way of our higher law, we will thunder the voice 
of Jehovah from Sinai against thorn : — we will pour the hot fire of 
God's word upon them till this stubble is consumed. 

Our mission is to declare God's truth ; to cry aloud and spare 
not ; to lift tip the voice like a trwnpiet ; to make knoini to God's 



THE SLAVE POTfER. 21 

:people their transgression, and to the home of Jacoh their sin. Sla- 
very is only one of the sins of this dark catalogue. But it is the 
great sin of our times. But few of God's ministers, especially for 
the last half century, have dared to deal faithfully with it— especi- 
ally in the slaveholding States. 

Nothing is more clear than that the people of the South deeply 
feel the wrongful and insecure tenure by which they hold this kind 
of property. They will not allow any discussion upon it Free- 
dom of speech and of the press are looked upon as speedily lead- 
ing to insurrection and bloodshed. We take it as an axiom, that 
any doctrine that shuns the light and dares not stand forth 'upon 
Its own character, open and read of all men— that shuns the light 
and will not be reproved, is essentially wicked, however much it is 
lauded as a patriarchal institution— a Divine institution. It is ac 
knowledged that it sets on fire the course of nature, and is set on 
fire of Hell. 

I do not suppose it is right for us to covet the martyr's crown 
as did many worthies of the early Church. It is our duty to pre- 
serve our lives, but not at the expense of dishonor and unfaithful 
ness. But yet, if in the Providence of God we are called to wear 
It, let us put it on manfully and joyfully, for Jesus has worn it 
before us. And like the Apostles of old, count it all joy that we 
are counted worthy to suffer for the Lord Jesus, for his truth and 
his humble poor ! 

By all means we are to save sinners, pulling them out of the 
fire as brands from the burning. We are to use our power as 
citizens, but more especially are we to act upon Society in oui- 
character as messengers of mercy and heralds of the Grace of 
Jesus Christ. We are to preach the word to be instant in season 
and ant of season, to reprove and rebuke with all long suffering 
and doctr^ne. We are highly to esteem the powers that be • to 
avail ourselves of them for our personal protection and the further 
anceof the Gospel; but not to be the cringing sycophant and the 
vile hypocrite when they command a dishonorable or a sinful 
action. Rather than yield to a vile and sinful action we had 
better pour out our blood, knowing that God will make it the seed 
of the Church. 

I wish. Brethren, to use language in such a way that I cannot 
be misunderstood. I regard slaveholding as sinful-aU slavehold- 



22 THE CHURCH AKD 

ing whicli is slaveholding in spirit, and slaveholding by law. There 
may be cases where the legal relation may be sustained for a time, 
for the good of the slaves, and it may be involuntary, as when 
slaves are inherited. But the spirit of slaveholding is always 
wrong, because it is contrary both to the golden rule and the law of 
love, and because it is inconsistent with the obligations and duties 
enjoined upon every man. According to the Scriptures and natural 
religion he ought to be free to carry out the dictates of his con- 
science, to control and train up his children, to reap the fruits of 
his labor, and to enjoy marriage and the family relation without 
interruption, except for crime. 

As the relation of master and slave is sinful, violative, both of 
the principles of natural and revealed religion, it. ought to be dis- 
countenanced by us as teachers of Divine Truth. It hence becomes 
our duty to counsel emancipation, with all kindness. We should 
always approach the subject in the loving, yet faithful spirit of our 
blessed Lord, and especially with judgments appreciative of the 
difficulties by which the subject is surrounded in slaveholding com- 
munities. Thus we should seek its abolition by all wise and pru- 
dent means. 

As a sin, slaveholding should be dealt with in the same manner 
as adultery, polygamy, theft, lying, robbery, cruelty, as in fact, 
slaveholding involves all these to a greater or less extent. 

Our fathers began rightly on this subject, preaching the Gospel 
and the whole Gospel, both to the master and the slave— to the 
slave that he should be obedient, and to the master that he should 
emancipate. But unfortunately they became bewildered by a false 
view of the doctrine of expediency, and slavery insinuated itself 
into the Church, and having obtained prescriptive right, it has be- 
come tlie source of almost uncontrolable evils. But the events of 
a few years past have so enlightened the public understanding and 
conscience of the Church, that the day is not far distant, we believe, 
when the Church of our choice will stand" forth on this subject, 
dear as the sim, fair as the moon, and terrible as an army with 

banners. 

Our line of conduct to the individual slaveholder, as members 
and ministers of Christ's Church, will indicate our duty to the 
State sanctioning the sin. Indeed the State is only the aggrega- 
tion of individuals, and its statutes are only the expressed will of 



THE SLAVE POWER. 23 

the citizens. This will is to be respected when it is right, or mor- 
ally indifferent, but to be resisted when it is wrong, and enjoins a 
sinful course of action. As citizens, we are to seek its abrogation 
by peaceful means, and in the meanwhile to endure its penalty as 
best we may. 

I wish to guard myself as to another thought or query which 
may arise in your minds. Is it the duty of every minister to bring 
out the subject of slavery in his public ministrations ? This is a 
matter to be left with the individual judgment and circumstances 
of every minister and his congregation. As the pastor of the flock, 
he is to give to each his portion of meat in due season, and in such 
quantity and quality as he may judge best. The Pulpit must be 
Free. The servant of G-od must preach his convictions. He must 
not be the pliant tool of any party in his congregation. Let him 
remember that he is the messenger of the Lord of Hosts, commis- 
sioned to declare the will of God to the people. If the minister 
preaches another Gospel besides that of Christ, the people have 
their remedy— they need not hear him— they need not support him. 
But the pulpit must be left unshackled— ?m<s« .he free to declare its 
convictions. It is a matter of thankfulness that the Church in our 
country is cut loose from the State. We ask nothing from the 
State, no endowments, no stipends, no support. All we ask is 
that it will let us alone, and protect us from ruffian violence, as 
it professes to do for every other citizen. 

This, then, we conceive to be our true relation to the State. We 
are its servants so far as to preach the Gospel to its people, to salt 
it well with the truth of God ; but not its sycophants,— not its 
slaves, to be told what and how we shall preach. To our Master, 
Jesus alone, we stand or fall. 



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